1965 Map of Commerce City

About this map

Industrial expansion and suburban growth define this mid-1960s landscape north of Denver, where the confluence of the South Platte River and Clear Creek meets a dense network of major rail lines. The map reveals the extensive industrial infrastructure of the era, from the sprawling Stapleton International Airport in the south to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and various refineries. The concentration of meatpacking history is evident near the Denver Union Stockyards and Stockyard Arena, surrounded by worker neighborhoods like Welby and Dupont. Local life is further documented through numerous institutions, including the Clayton College for Boys and several parochial schools such as Holy Cross Sch and Annunciation High Sch. Rapid residential development is captured in the expanding street grids of Thornton and Commerce City, while historical burial grounds like Riverside Cemetery and Rose Hill Cemetery provide fixed points for genealogical research.